NEED INFORMATION ON MEDICARE INSURANCE PLANS?
I AM ALREADY IN MEDICARE
Manage Your Medicare Account Online
Are you already enrolled in Medicare? If so, did you know that you can check your account online?
- If you have not registered with the Medicare website, you can access the Medicare registration page at the link below.
- If you already registered with the Medicare website, you can access your account at the link below.
Choose/Change Your Medicare Plan
If you want to choose a new Medicare plan and you don’t want to use an outside resource or a consultant, Medicare can help you review you options and compare plans. You can access this free service at the link below.
Note than you can change between Regular Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans at the beginning of each year, and you can select/change prescription drug plans at the end of each year.
Billing Issues
If you are in Original Medicare, bills are processed by private companies known as Medicare Administrative Contractors, or MACs. If you are in a Medicare Advantage plan, your bills are handled by your plan directly.
If you have questions about your bill, you should first call the doctor, hospital, or other health care provider that treated you. You can also call the MAC in your state. Their telephone number should be at the top of your Medicare Summary Notice. If you suspect fraud, see section below.
If the MAC's telephone number is not on the Medicare Summary Notice, call Medicare at 1-800-633-4227 to get it. (TTY users call 1-877-486-2048).
You can also get contact information for your state MAC online. To get contacts for MACs in your state, members can click the link below. Scroll down the directory to find your state, and then select the MAC. Note that in some cases the MAC that handles Part A bills (hospital) may be different from the MAC than handles Part B bills and the MAC that handles bills for medical equipment. You can access the free MAC directory at the link below.
Billing For Equipment
Bills for approved medical equipment are handled somewhat differently than bills for hospital and doctor services. Only 4 MACs handle what Medicare calls “durable medical equipment.” Each handles a region of the country. You can find their region below and then click on the link if you need to contact them about a bill for medical equipment.
o South: Palmetto GBA
o Northeast: National Heritage/NHIC
o Midwest: National Government Services (formerly Adminastar)
Denied Medicare Benefits?
If you have been denied Medicare benefits, there is an appeals process. Learn more at the link below:
Billing Fraud & Other Medicare Scams
Be wary of door-to-door salespeople. No one is authorized to come to your door uninvited with the purpose of selling you Medicare policies (including prescription drug coverage). Protect yourself by following these simple rules:
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Do not reveal personal health or financial information. Legitimate companies who sell Medicare policies (including prescription drug policies) are not authorized to request personal information during marketing activities.
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Always protect your Medicare number. Like your credit cards and bank accounts, your Medicare number is personal and should not be given to strangers.
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Before you reveal personal information or sign a contract, confirm that the company is legitimate. Medicare has a list of approved companies, so it’s easy to confirm that the company and coverage you choose is legitimate before you sign up or reveal financial information. If a salesperson pressures you to sign up without giving you time to check, run the other way.
If you suspect fraud, contact your local police or the US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. You can call them at 800-447-8477. You can also access them at the link below.
You can also download the free booklet on preventing fraud. Just click the English or Spanish titles below.
NEED INFORMATION ON MEDICARE INSURANCE PLANS?
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